Exploration: Difference between revisions

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=== Hacking Tips and Tricks ===

* As a general rule, '''you’ll want to explore as many nodes as you can before attacking any Defensive Subsystems.''' ~~Restoration Nodes are an exception to this, but for the most part~~, it’s better to explore the entire board before engaging with any subsystems: you may just stumble onto the System Core early!

* As a general rule, '''you’ll want to explore as many nodes as you can before attacking any static Defensive Subsystems.''' In general, it’s better to explore the entire board before engaging with any subsystems: you may just stumble onto the System Core early! Restoration Nodes and Virus Suppressors are the exception to this though, as they should be removed from the board as soon as possible.

* '''Always pick up Utility Subsystems as soon as they are exposed.''' If you keep exploring without snagging these, a Defensive Subsystem might pop up and cut off your access to them!

* '''Always use a Self Repair as soon as you find it.''' It simply increases your Coherence, so there is no gain in waiting.

* '''Don’t open Data Caches until you’ve fully explored all their adjacent nodes.''' You don’t want your exploration to be cut off by an unexpected Defensive Subsystem!

** Additionally, more difficult hacks contain Data Caches that might expose particularly nasty Defensive Subsystems (Restoration Nodes), so sometimes, '''you may just want to leave opening Data Caches as a last resort.'''

* Because exposed Defensive Subsystems cut off access to adjacent nodes, '''you may want to explore nodes along the edges first before exploring inward'''. This is because if you happen to expose a Firewall or Anti-Virus along a “wall,” you will be a bit less likely to cut off all of your movement options in that direction.

* Use the 1-5 numbers in empty nodes to guide your movement around the grid. For example, if you're approaching an edge or corner of the grid, and the number is a 5, then trying to explore anything towards that corner/edge is not useful, because you know that there cannot be anything good within 5 nodes. ~~So in~~ general, you want to click in directions that make the numbers smaller. Because the numbers disappear as you move along, you need to remember where there were 5's, so you know which areas not to bother going back to later.

* Use the 1-5 "minesweeper" numbers in empty nodes to guide your movement around the grid. For example, if you're approaching an edge or corner of the grid, and the number is a 5, then trying to explore anything towards that corner/edge is not useful, because you know that there cannot be anything good within 5 nodes. In general, you want to click in directions that make the numbers smaller. Because the numbers disappear as you move along, you need to remember where there were 5's, so you know which areas not to bother going back to later.

== Item recovery ==

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 === Hacking Tips and Tricks ===
-* As a general rule, '''you’ll want to explore as many nodes as you can before attacking any Defensive Subsystems.''' Restoration Nodes are an exception to this, but for the most part, it’s better to explore the entire board before engaging with any subsystems: you may just stumble onto the System Core early!
+* As a general rule, '''you’ll want to explore as many nodes as you can before attacking any static Defensive Subsystems.'''  In general, it’s better to explore the entire board before engaging with any subsystems: you may just stumble onto the System Core early!  Restoration Nodes and Virus Suppressors are the exception to this though, as they should be removed from the board as soon as possible.
 * '''Always pick up Utility Subsystems as soon as they are exposed.''' If you keep exploring without snagging these, a Defensive Subsystem might pop up and cut off your access to them!
+* '''Always use a Self Repair as soon as you find it.'''  It simply increases your Coherence, so there is no gain in waiting.
 * '''Don’t open Data Caches until you’ve fully explored all their adjacent nodes.''' You don’t want your exploration to be cut off by an unexpected Defensive Subsystem!
 ** Additionally, more difficult hacks contain Data Caches that might expose particularly nasty Defensive Subsystems (Restoration Nodes), so sometimes, '''you may just want to leave opening Data Caches as a last resort.'''
 * Because exposed Defensive Subsystems cut off access to adjacent nodes, '''you may want to explore nodes along the edges first before exploring inward'''. This is because if you happen to expose a Firewall or Anti-Virus along a “wall,” you will be a bit less likely to cut off all of your movement options in that direction.
-* Use the 1-5 numbers in empty nodes to guide your movement around the grid.  For example, if you're approaching an edge or corner of the grid, and the number is a 5, then trying to explore anything towards that corner/edge is not useful, because you know that there cannot be anything good within 5 nodes.  So in general, you want to click in directions that make the numbers smaller. Because the numbers disappear as you move along, you need to remember where there were 5's, so you know which areas not to bother going back to later.
+* Use the 1-5 "minesweeper" numbers in empty nodes to guide your movement around the grid.  For example, if you're approaching an edge or corner of the grid, and the number is a 5, then trying to explore anything towards that corner/edge is not useful, because you know that there cannot be anything good within 5 nodes.  In general, you want to click in directions that make the numbers smaller. Because the numbers disappear as you move along, you need to remember where there were 5's, so you know which areas not to bother going back to later.
 == Item recovery ==